Bale made just his second Real Madrid appearance since September on Wednesday as he scored in the Spanish outfit's 2-1 win over Al Jazira Club in the semi-finals of the Club World Cup.

The Welshman has endured an injury-plagued campaign to date, but could help Los Blancos win more silverware in Saturday's Club World Cup final against Brazilian side Gremio.

Zidane has welcomed the return of the former Tottenham Hotspur attacker, who has been strongly linked with a move away from the Bernabeu in recent months.

"I'm very happy to see Gareth with us again. He looks very happy to me and very pleased to be with his teammates. We'll see how he progresses. Saturday is a final and he's prepared to play," Zidane told reporters.

Bale has only started four La Liga matches for Real Madrid this season.